Q&A · 2:18:48-2:19:11

Renown versus a reconstructed Kongo

Renown has the edge over a reconstructed Kongo and offers a stronger return on interwar modernisation spending.

Question

How would Renown fare against a reconstructed Kongo-class battlecruiser?

Short answer

Renown is favoured as the better-value reconstruction, though the Kongos remained useful fast support ships for Japan's carriers.

Notes

The comparison is between two First World War battlecruiser lineages substantially altered before the Second World War. Renown is favoured in a one-on-one fight after reconstruction and judged the better value for money. The Japanese used the Kongo class in a battleship-like battle-line role for which their origins left compromises. The Kongos remained valuable fast escorts for carrier operations, but that utility does not erase the difference between supporting a force and meeting Renown directly.